Lower extremity arterial disease is a condition with varying frequency in different populations. Accurate diagnosis of lower extremity arterial disease with noninvasive means is an important clinical issue. Ankle brachial index is regarded as the most sensitive tool in the detection of this disease. This study aimed to examine the sensitivity and specificity of Edinburgh claudication questionnaire in detecting lower extremity arterial disease diagnosed by the ankle brachial index test in a group of Turkish adults. Subjects aged 50 years or older (n=200) were first filled the Edinburgh claudication questionnaire to assess leg symptoms and underwent ankle brachial index measurement at the same visit. Edinburgh claudication questionnaire detected claudication in 27 (13.5%) individuals and a low ankle brachial index was found in 19 (9.5%) subjects. Edinburgh claudication questionnaire did not sufficiently identify those peripheral artery disease cases diagnosed by ankle brachial index (sensitivity: 31.6%, specificity: 88.4%, positive and negative predictive values: 22.2% and 92.5%, respectively). Low sensitivity but high specificity and negative predictive values of Edinburgh claudication questionnaire in this Turkish sample suggested that this test as a screening tool only in asymptomatic subjects to confirm the absence of lower extremity arterial disease without measuring ankle brachial index.
Keywords: Peripheral arterial disease; ankle-brachial pressure index; Edinburgh claudication questionnaire; sensitivity; specificity
